Contractor PORR and Gülermak JV has completed excavation of the central 1.5km length of the 3.2km long, two-lane bi-directional tunnel on the Świnoujście Road Link in Poland following the breakthrough of its 13.46m diameter CREG (China Railway Engineering Equipment Group Co. Ltd.) slurry TBM ‘Islander’.
To bore through the ground conditions of fine sand and fine-medium sand with gravel, fine-medium sand with gravel and over-consolidated sandy clay with gravel and chalk, the TBM is equipped with key technologies that include the intelligent diagnosis of its cutter status, early warning of cutter head clogging and ground conditions during excavation, the online measurement of key parameters of the cutters under strong impaction, high water pressures, and heavy wear environments (detectable wear accuracy ±2mm, temperature -20 – 120℃, rotation speed 0-500r/min, load 0-80t), whilst accurately determining abnormal damage to disc cutters such as uneven wear and cutter edge damage.
“The intelligent cutter status diagnosis system has now become the direct basis for cutter change with high accuracy. With scientific and timely guidance of cutter changes, it indirectly saves more than $1.5M in overhead cost and 600 hours, as the cost and time of working in the excavation chamber is reduced. In addition, it reduces the risk of workers entering the excavating chamber and improves the safety and quality management of construction.” the TBM operator says.
Świnoujście is located on 44 islands, with just three of them inhabited: Uznam, Wolin, and Karsibór. About 80% or 41,000 residents live on Uznam Island where most of tourism industry is concentrated. Transportation between the islands of Uznam and Wolin is currently by ferry which employ outdated vessels and take 40 minutes. Once the Świnoujście Road Link completed, this time will be reduced to 4 minutes.
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